Report from Allianz Cloud – Milan
n the setting of the Allianz Cloud in Milan, with a big-fight crowd surrounding the ring, last night saw the bout between Francesco Paparo (12-2-1, 5 KOs) and Spain’s Juanfé Gomez (16-2-1, 3 KOs) for the EBU Silver European super featherweight title. The main event of the TAF 12 card, organized by The Art of Fighting promotion headed by Edoardo Germani, ended with Gomez winning by split decision with the following scorecards: 115–113 for Paparo and two cards of 115–113 for the Spaniard.
A missed opportunity for the Italian fighter. Francesco started well, showing focus, quick reactions and fast footwork, but Gomez grew stronger as the fight went on, neutralizing Paparo’s most dangerous weapons.
Very little happened in the early stages. The two fighters studied each other for a long time before letting their hands go. Gomez took the center of the ring, advancing cautiously, while Paparo moved along the ropes waiting for the Spaniard’s attacks in order to time him and counter.
The first meaningful punch came in the second round: a sharp left hook from Francesco that caught his opponent by surprise.
The Italian’s footwork is of excellent quality and allowed him to exit the corners quickly and time his opponent. But Gomez showed that he knew how to handle himself in the ring and manage the various phases of the fight.
Not much happened in the first four rounds, partly because of the fighters’ caution, combined with their ability to read and neutralize each other’s intentions. Both mainly tried to land the lead hook and the rear straight. The jab was almost absent, used only as a nuisance weapon.
A good right hand from Paparo in the fifth round served as the prelude to the most heated phase of the bout, the spark that ignited the fight.
In the sixth round the two began exchanging fiercely, but Gomez proved more effective, first with a sharp left straight and then repeatedly with the right hook.
Gomez is a well-schooled southpaw—quick, mobile on his feet and reactive with his upper body. As the rounds went by, the Spaniard seemed to improve in reading Francesco’s style, while Paparo unfortunately became somewhat predictable.
There were still positive moments for Paparo, such as a nice counter after a slip in the seventh round, but the impression was that he lacked a plan B to counter his opponent. Francesco relied almost exclusively on a counterpunching approach, allowing himself to be backed into the corners while waiting for the right opening to strike. In doing so, however, he became one-dimensional, making Gomez’s task easier.
In the second half the fight came in bursts, with the two fighters clinching for long stretches, also to smother each other’s sudden attacks.
The eighth was a difficult round, featuring heavy exchanges and landed punches from both sides. But as the minutes passed Francesco seemed to lose distance and rhythm, allowing Gomez to control the action both at close range and from the outside.
The tenth round was the toughest, opened by a left straight from Gomez that landed clean. The Spaniard became even more aggressive, landing a left hook and then a heavy left straight that struck Paparo flush and caused his nose to bleed. After another furious attack by Gomez, Francesco wisely clinched, showing admirable composure as well as great courage and punch resistance. In the final seconds the Italian found the strength to respond, trying to put Gomez in trouble, but he lacked a bit of clarity.
In the championship rounds fatigue became evident, and with it precision and sharpness declined despite the fighters’ tremendous determination.
At the final bell the crowd gave both boxers a deserved round of applause for producing a competitive and at times very intense fight.
In the opinion of this writer, the verdict was fair. Over the distance Gomez proved more mature from a boxing standpoint and more capable of reading and neutralizing Francesco’s strengths.
Paparo fought well but relied too much on a single game plan based on slips and counters, which gradually lost effectiveness as the rounds went by. The jab was also missing—an essential offensive and controlling weapon for managing distance and the various phases of the fight.
Despite the defeat, Francesco can benefit from the experience gained in such an important event and against a high-level opponent to further improve the quality of his boxing. Given his young age and natural abilities, this defeat can be seen as just another step in what we hope will be a long and fruitful boxing journey.
A report on the event’s undercard will follow.